Flu Shot Alternatives

You don’t need a flu shot to protect yourself this year. Use natural immune boosters to stay strong and healthy through the fall and winter.

You don’t need a flu shot to protect yourself this year. Use natural immune boosters to stay strong and healthy through the fall and winter.

Despite the fact that the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention advocates a seasonal flu shot for everyone, the reality is that not all people feel comfortable with this recommendation. I and many other health experts do not endorse widespread seasonal flu vaccines, including the H1N1 vaccine. Your immune system, when working properly, has a remarkable capacity to fight off the flu and colds. Even if an infection does gain a foothold, it’s usually just a matter of time before the immune system mounts an effective counterattack.

Recipe for a Strong Immune System

Whether you get a flu shot or not, it is important to bolster immunity during the fall and winter months. This increases your resistance to colds and flu, and protects you against cancer and other diseases. Try these steps to boost your immune system:

A healthy lifestyle is essential for immunity. Be sure to eat a healthy diet, get exercise, avoid toxins, maintain your appropriate body weight, and get enough sleep.

Recent research on the proprietary ingredient Wellmune WGP (beta-glucan from baker’s yeast) has been shown in a double-blind study to prevent colds and flu. Subjects were treated with either 500 mg of Wellmune WGP or a placebo for 90 days. The Wellmune WGP group reported:

No missed work or school due to colds, compared with 1.4 days missed in the placebo group.

No incidences of fever, compared with 3.5 incidences in the placebo group.

An increase in physical energy and emotional well-being, as measured by
a clinically validated hea
questionnaire.

Wellmune WGP is available in certain foods, beverages, and supplements, including supplements from Alacer Corp. and Jarrow Formulas.

Why Vitamin D is Critical for Flu Prevention

Research shows that vitamin D targets more than 2,000 genes (about 10 percent of the human genome). It is now known that low levels of vitamin D are a major factor in the development of at least 17 varieties of cancer, as well as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, and many more common health conditions. As it relates to flu prevention, here is what is known:

Individuals who have vitamin D blood levels lower than 38 ng/ml had twice as many upper respiratory tract infections as those with higher levels.

Children who took 1,200 IU of vitamin D daily reduced their risk of developing the flu by 58 percent.

Because it is estimated that one out of every two Americans is likely to have blood levels below 20 ng/ml, supplementing with vitamin D may prove to be more effective than getting a flu shot. For optimal vitamin D status, take 2,000—5,000 IU daily.

Thinking Echinacea?

While echinacea has been shown to exert significant effects on immune function in more than 300 clinical studies, not all of the research has been positive. Mixed results most likely stem from insufficient quantity of the herb’s active compounds. There is tremendous variation in these levels—even within the same product from batch to batch. Echinacea must be grown properly, harvested at the exact time, and extracted properly for maximal levels of all active compounds. Clinical studies with Echinamide (a patented echinacea product standardized for effective levels of key compounds) have proved useful in preventing, as well as shortening, the severity and duration of colds and flu.

Welcome

On the Dr Oz show

On the show I discussed the failure of conventional medicine to address the underlying issues in many health conditions offering little more than drugs as biochemical “band aids.”

December is Seasonal Affective Disorder Awareness Month

In seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is associated with winter depression Typically, these individuals not only feel depressed they also feel tried, slow down, and generally oversleep, overeat, and crave carbohydrates in the winter. In the summer, these same patients feel very good and maybe even are elated, active, and energetic.

Although many variables may be responsible for SAD, insufficient light exposure is the most logical explanation. Many mammals exhibit seasonal variations in activity level, sleep patterns, and appetite and are extremely sensitive to changes in day length. The antidepressant effects of full-spectrum light therapy have been demonstrated in well-monitored, controlled studies in SAD. The antidepressant effect of light therapy is probably due to the restoration of proper melatonin synthesis and secretion by the pineal gland, leading to reestablishment of the proper circadian rhythm. Full-spectrum white light (10,000 lux) is prescribed for at least 30 minutes every day in the morning. Or, better yet, use full-spectrum lighting throughout the indoor environment.

The key hormonal change caused by exposure to full spectrum lighting may be a reduced secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland and an increased secretion of cortisol by the adrenal glands. Melatonin supplementation is thought to improve SAD because it increases brain melatonin levels, but it may also suppress cortisol secretion.Take 3-5 mg 45 minutes before retiring.

Vitamin D is also an important consideration. Many experts recommend a dosage of 2,000 to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily, especially during the winter months.

Mind Your Ps and Qs

PQQ may be the perfect answer to preventing or reversing age-related mental decline.

kiwiPQQ (short for pyrroloquinoline quinone) is a vitamin-like compound found in plant foods that shows a wide range of benefits for brain function and energy production. Learn more about PQQ with the following Q&A.
What Exactly Does PQQ Do?

PQQ is an extremely potent antioxidant that is able to carry out the role of an antioxidant in the body more than 20,000 times—which is a rare thing. For example, other antioxidants, such as vitamin C, are only able to accomplish this “cycling” process about four times.
Are There Any Food Sources of PQQ?

PQQ has been found in all plant foods analyzed to date. Particularly PPQ-rich foods include parsley, green peppers, kiwi, papaya, and tofu. These foods contain 2–3 mcg of PQQ per 100 grams. Green tea provides about the same amount per 4-oz. serving. While these amounts appear to be sufficient in helping our cells carry out their basic functions, research indicates that boosting PQQ through supplementation can produce some amazing effects.